Page 9 - NAMAH-Jan-2017
P. 9
Editorial
The metaphysical basis for integral health — individual destiny
In ordinary life, the human destiny is at first been held to be exclusive by its voyagers.
to survive the battle of life and when that has The integral approach actually rises above
been made secure, the destiny shifts to be in all exclusivism. In contemporary usage, the
possession of circumstances. In contrast, the transcendental approach has been eulogised
higher destiny of mankind is to seek God, have to such an extent that God is considered to be
a realisation of God or even identification with a Transcendental Reality. Now, if one identifies
God. In the fifth Chapter of The Life Divine titled with ‘God’ or ‘Reality’ at the transcendental
‘The Destiny of the Individual’, Sri Aurobindo poise, one can get such an overwhelming
traces the trajectory of the higher destiny that experience that an identification with Reality at
leads to Godhead. other poises (Cosmic and Individual) becomes
unnecessary, insignificant and not worth the
However the Aurobindonian paradigm does trouble! The integral approach however gives
not deal with an anthropomorphic version equal significance to all aspects and considers
of Godhead. It does not merely deal with an the transcendental, cosmic (universal) and
extracosmic creator or a benevolent Ruler or individual poises as representing the same
an abstract ethereal concept. In fact, God is a Reality in different denouements.
complex construct, a Divine Consciousness
that is simultaneously relevant at the Trans- Manifesting God
cendental, Universal and Individual poises
of the same underlying Reality. Moreover this In Sri Aurobindo’s scheme of things, if one has
Divine Reality contains everything and is also to identify with God or the divine consciousness
contained in everything besides being identified in an integralist perspective, then identification
with everything. Therefore any realisation or with the Transcendence does not suffice; the
identification with the Godhead or Divine identification has to take equal cognisance of the
Consciousness has to be simultaneously transcendental, cosmic and individual poises
relevant at multiple levels, necessitating an of the Reality. But even then Sri Aurobindo is
integral movement towards an integral Reality. not satisfied with a mere identification with
the Reality at all levels. For him the crowning
A closer enquiry reveals that an integral glory of the individual destiny is to manifest the
realisation of the divine consciousness actually Transcendence in individual, earthly terms.
includes and surpasses all the conventional
pathways to God that have been practised Obviously, such a concept might seem
throughout history. The difference is that blasphemous to some conventional schools
usually each single pathway traversed has of theology for whom the ‘impurity’ of the
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